Totally up to you! It depends on your availability and learning style. Full-time is an immersive 3 months (Monday to Friday, 8:00am—5:00pm). Part-time is 9 months (Two nights a week, 6:00—9:30pm), and a good fit for students who work full-time or have other major commitments. But apart from the duration, the full-time and part-time curriculum is identical—students create the same high quality work and get similar jobs after graduation.

Over the past 20 years we’ve developed an innovative approach to help students achieve amazing results in a seriously short amount of time. Ask our graduates—it’s completely different to any other course or classroom! Our intensive, fast-paced course isn’t for everyone, but if you’re a go-getter who wants to learn quickly and efficiently, Shillington’s right for you.

Shillington prepares you for a wide variety of creative careers. Upskilling in design helps you put your best foot forward on the job hunt. You could work in digital design like Louise at either a small or large agency, focus on publishing like Kelly or packaging like at a boutique studio like Roo. There’s even opportunities to take on freelance clients or even build your own business like Ina. The list is endless! Learn more about potential design careers in What is Graphic Design? or scroll through our graduates’ profiles on LinkedIn.

In Australia, you’ll receive a Certificate IV in Design and a portfolio showcasing your best work. We run a Certificate IV course because it allows greater flexibility with our course content. It means we can focus on teaching what is practical and relevant.

We encourage students to tackle their job hunt independently, but provide assistance along the way. During the course we make sure students are confident presenting their portfolio for future interviews. Students who give 100% to their studies are in an excellent position to land their first design job. We have a Jobs Board for employers seeking Shillington graduates and frequently share career advice on the blog.

In Australia and the United Kingdom, there’s no experience required! Our curriculum is designed for learners at every level. We just need to confirm language proficiency since our fast-paced course is taught in English.

We’ll send a list of suggested supplies once you’ve enrolled, but students should expect to have a working computer (Mac preferred with Adobe Creative Cloud and Sketch installed), general school supplies (sketchbook, pens, USB drive) and budget for portfolio and poster printing at the end of the course.

We will offer half scholarships for all courses at all campuses in September 2018. Stay tuned for the official announcement and application details in late June 2018. Sign up for our e-mail list and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to be the first to know!

If you’re planning to study full-time in Australia, you may be eligible to apply for Austudy or Youth Allowance through Centrelink. Our course is approved for both. Contact Centrelink for more information. Our RTO number is 3527.

Yes. All of our teachers are practising graphic designers and we regularly welcome industry guest lecturers to share insights and experience. Check out industry connections and our #industrytalks features on the blog.

Definitely! You can check out our campus at an Info Session. If you can’t make an Info Session, contact your desired campus directly and we’ll schedule the best time for a one-on-one meeting and campus tour

Totally! You can check out our campus at an Info Session. And if you can’t make an Info Session, contact your desired campus directly and we’ll schedule the best time for a one-on-one meeting and campus tour.

Creativity never sleeps, so you can expect to work outside of classroom hours. For full-timers, the minimum homework requirement is 6 hours per week and for part-timers, 8 hours per week. Some weeks might not have much homework, but we recommend allowing more time towards the end when you’re finishing off your portfolio—it will definitely pay off.

If you cancel four weeks or more before the start of the course, your deposit will be refunded less a $250 administration fee. Your deposit will not be refunded if you withdraw within two weeks of course commencement, regardless of reason. You have until the Friday before the course starts to notify us, otherwise you become liable for the full cost of the course. View more details in our Shillington Australia terms and conditions.

We’ll take you through the creative process from beginning to end—integrating idea generation, technical knowledge, design theory and studio skills at every step. Visit our course and approach to learn more.

Our course has a focus on digital design across platforms like mobile, tablet and web. We teach students Sketch, run in-class workshops on UI and UX design and keep our course up-to-date with industry standards. Read more about how we keep our finger on the pulse in Decades of Digital. We don’t teach code but don’t worry—most studios outsource this kind of work to developers. In graphic design, it’s the user interface that matters. We cover this in our curriculum. Find out more in our course and approach.

I’ve already worked or trained as a designer. Is Shillington right for me?

Our course is ideal for current creatives to revive software skills and enhance their understanding of the design fundamentals. If your software skills are self-taught, we’ll teach you how to work smoothly and efficiently across the Adobe Creative Suite. Or if your current portfolio isn’t up-to-scratch, we’ll help you craft a collection of your best work, showcasing an ability to work across a wide range of briefs

We recommend Mac for students since it’s the design industry standard. A minimum of 8GB RAM is recommended to keep things running nice and fast. It’s easier to design effectively with a larger screen. If working on a laptop with a small screen, consider hooking it up to a larger monitor.

Yes. You need access to the Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat) and Sketch from the start of the course. You’ll be eligible for a student discount once you enrol and receive your Confirmation of Enrolment.

Not at all. During the course you will need to do rough sketches in order to develop ideas, but your drawing ability will not be judged. Design is about conveying ideas effectively, not creating artistic masterpieces. We’ll guide you through what you need to know.

In Sydney and Melbourne, only full-time students who are Australian Citizens or Permanent Residents are eligible for travel concession cards. In Brisbane, all full-time students are eligible for travel concession cards. You’ll receive an email from us before the course with instructions on how to apply. Please note—you won’t receive your travel concession card before the course starts, as they are only valid for the duration of your study. Unfortunately, part-time students are not eligible to receive travel concession cards in Australia.